MINNEAPOLIS—The economy in this metro area keeps chugging along and the industrial sector in particular has been vibrant for some time. The Opus Group's new contract with Houston-based CenterPoint Energy Inc. to design and construct a 64,000 square foot warehouse and office facility in suburban Golden Valley represents just the latest of many recent construction projects.
“CenterPoint has a number of older facilities in the area and their goal is to centralize resources,” Jessica Coyle, a project manager with Opus Design Build, LLC, tells GlobeSt.com. The new building will serve as the home base for the energy delivery company's local operations. Located near the intersection of Douglas Dr. North and Golden Valley Rd., it will include 43,400 square feet of warehouse space with 28' clear height, two stories of office space totaling 20,600 square feet and ample parking.
Industrial construction is becoming common in the Twin Cities. According to Colliers International, developers completed 686,500 square feet of speculative space during the first quarter. In addition, Colliers expects builders to deliver 1.5 million square feet of speculative space in the second and third quarters. Room & Board, Wurth Adams, Blu Dot, Fedex and other companies also had build-to-suit projects underway this year.
The significant amount of office space for the CenterPoint project “creates a different set of needs for the exterior,” Coyle adds. “We want it to fit in with the aesthetics of the surrounding neighborhood and ensure the façade or skin of the building is inviting.”
Opus plans to finish the building by February 2016 and design it to achieve LEED Silver certification. Its sustainable elements will include water efficient plumbing fixtures, enhanced storm water retention and pretreatment measures, a floor layout designed to maximize daylighting, and motion and daylight sensor lighting.
“CenterPoint Energy is looking forward to enhancing our operational efficiencies in our Golden Valley Service Center,” says Dave Long, facilities project manager for gas operations in Minnesota at CenterPoint Energy. “Our new facility will allow us to add value through superior customer service capabilities, new technologies and innovation.”
Opus Design Build, LLC will serve as the project's design-builder and Opus AE Group, LLC will be the architect and structural engineer of record. Loucks Associates will serve as the civil engineer of record.
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Brian J. Rogal
Brian J. Rogal is a Chicago-based freelance writer with years of experience as an investigative reporter and editor, most notably at The Chicago Reporter, where he concentrated on housing issues. He also has written extensively on alternative energy and the payments card industry for national trade publications.
